R. EARSMAN LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC066725 · ltd · incorporated 1978-12-28
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 46.6y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£327.5k
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Construction of other civil engineering projects n.e.c.
Sector: Construction
Investor take
PursueActive trading company. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 2 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (63/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 46.6y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 46.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: high (80/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (3 active, 8 linked, 4 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
6 connected companies via shared directors
63
Filing history
105 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
65
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £327,527
Cash YoY
+115%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£104k
↑ 115% YoY
Net Worth
£328k
↑ 40% YoY
Current Assets
£402k
↑ 88% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £377.9k | £276.0k |
| Current assets | £401.6k | £213.8k |
| Cash | £104.3k | £48.6k |
| Debtors | £261.3k | £155.5k |
| Net assets | £327.5k | £234.5k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-03-26📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2025-03-13➕ARMSTRONG, John Andrew appointeddirector
- 2024-12-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-10-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-16📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2022-06-15➖THOMSON, Andrea resignedsecretary
- 2022-05-27📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2021-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-16📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2021-01-06📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2021-01-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-30📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2020-12-29➕THOMSON, Andrena appointedsecretary
- 2020-12-29➕THOMSON, Andrea appointedsecretary
- 2020-12-24➖WINTER, Brian resignedsecretary
- 2019-12-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-12-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2007-05-31➖ARMSTRONG, John Andrew resigneddirector
- 2005-05-20➖ARMSTRONG, Joyce resigneddirector
- 2002-12-23➖ARMSTRONG, Joyce resignedsecretary
- 2002-12-23➕WINTER, Brian appointedsecretary
- 1992-03-17🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1991-12-10🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1991-12-06🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1991-11-27➕ARMSTRONG, John Johnston appointeddirector
- 1979-09-21🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 1978-12-28🏢Company incorporatedAs R. EARSMAN LIMITED
Owner dependency
76/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 34 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
16/100
No succession signalNo meaningful acquirability indicators from public data.
SIGNALS
- primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — ARMSTRONG, John Andrew (same surname) appointed 2025-03-13. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 34 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr John Johnston Armstrong Individual · British · DOB 01/1970 · age 56 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RYDER SERVICES LIMITED→ SC343308 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
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| SIA STEEL ERECTION & CLADDING LTD→ SC884188 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SIMPSONSSOLUTIONS LTD→ SC406521 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| SOLWAY CLIMATE SOLUTIONS LTD→ SC661607 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| SOLWAY INSULATION SERVICES LIMITED→ SC324989 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| SOUTH OF SCOTLAND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD→ SC853156 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SWR ROOFING LTD→ SC852086 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| THE LOG HOUSE PEOPLE LTD.→ SC352634 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| THOMPSON WELDING & FABRICATION LTD→ SC502964 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| THOMSON HEATING & GAS SERVICES LTD→ SC710400 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
6 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1978-12-28
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC42990 — Construction of other civil engineering projects n.e.c.
Registered office
Unit 2 Downs Way Industrial Estate
Heathhall
Dumfries
DG1 3RS
Scotland
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-14
Last: 2025-12-31
Officers (3 active · 5 resigned)
Active
ARMSTRONG, John Andrew→
Activedirector · ~28y · appointed 2025-03-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ARMSTRONG, John Johnston→
Activedirector · ~56y · appointed 1991-11-27
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ARMSTRONG, Joyce→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2002-12-23
THOMSON, Andrea→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2020-12-29 · resigned 2022-06-15
WINTER, Brian→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-12-23 · resigned 2020-12-24
ARMSTRONG, John Andrew→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · resigned 2007-05-31
ARMSTRONG, Joyce→
Resigneddirector · ~83y · resigned 2005-05-20
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Floating charge | 1 property | 10/12/1991 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Standard security | 1 property | 06/12/1991 | — | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Floating charge | 1 property | 21/09/1979 | 17/03/1992 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (105 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-03-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-27
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-03-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-03-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-10
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-06-16
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-05-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-22
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2021-11-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-12